English

High Schools to Offer Plan to Graduate Two Years Early

The academic performance of students in the United States falls behind that of students in other countries such as Singapore, England, and Denmark. In an effort to change that, the US created a program that will allow high school sophomores to get a diploma two years early and enroll in a community college. About a dozen schools in eight different states plan to begin this program next year. In the new program, tenth graders will be given several tests, called board exams, covering various subjects such as math, English, science, and history. If they pass, they can enroll in community college immediately. Students who pass also have the option of taking college preparatory courses for their next two years. Students that fail the board exams can try again in their junior year and senior year.

The new program, introduced by the NationalCenter on Education and the Economy, has a great deal of support from various people and associations. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided more than a million dollars to help fund the program. The states that will implement the program in the fall of 2011 include Connecticut, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The program’s supporters hope that the trial states will eventually implement the program to all of their schools, and they hope that other states will notice and adopt the program as well.

Presently, incoming students to community colleges struggle with the math and English exams that determine their placement. The program’s goals are to ensure that students master the subjects needed to succeed and to reduce the number of students that need to retake subjects that they already studied in high school. Many students today drop out before they get a degree. The program will provide a clear guideline of what students need to study to advance in whichever area of study interests them. Since the program is based on subject mastery, students will be able to work at their own pace. The hope is that students will be motivated to succeed, no matter what career interests them.

[1]planrimo (plan) is a noun derived from the verb planrare (to plan) denoting the printed or hard-copy version associated with an action such as planrimo (plan), raportimo (report) or testimo (test). Note the r on the end of planr–. This is an example of the use of the root changer -r- to form a recognizable root which is distinct from plan–, which is the root for the noun plano (plane (two-dimensional surface)).

[4] le (the typical) is the individual generic article and is often the correct translation of a plural noun, in this case ‘students’ in English.

[5]vikonajo ji le studento (performance of students) is a noun phrase using the link ji (of (as (as subject)) which links the event (vikonajo) to its subject (le studento).

[6]le studentojenu Da Yunayted Steyts (students in the United States) is a noun phrase using the link jenu formed from the preposition enu (in).

[7]layo (that/the one) is a pronoun standing for the noun phrase la akademay vikonajo, used to avoid repeating the noun phrase, as is done in English.

[8]paisoy kyasu Singapor (countries such as Singapore) is a noun phrase using the relative preposition kyasu (such as).

[9]hayskulay sofomoroy (high school sophomores) is a noun phrase using the Type I relational adjective hayskulay (of a high school).

[10]komunitataykolegio (community college) is a noun phrase using the Type I relational adjective komunitatay (of a community).

[11]planrats (plan) is an example of the use of the root changer -r- to form a recognizable root which is distinct from plan–, which is the root for the noun plano (plane (two-dimensional surface)).

[12]anu la neksta djaro (in the next year) is a prepositional phrase specifying location in time. Note that Ayola must use both the preposition anu (distinct from enu, used for spatial relations) as well as the definite article la, whereas English uses neither.

[14]godonuts (will be given) is an indirect object passive verb formed with the indirect object passive prefix go–, which is distinct from the direct object passive prefix ge–.

[15]testimoy narmeda jwi komiteay egzamoy (tests called board exams) is a noun phrase using the trailing adjective narmeda and the link jwi (of (as direct object)) which links the having of a relation (narmeda) to the object of the relation (komiteay egzamoy).

[16]Ingleso (English) is a proper name as are all of the names of the languages in Ayola.

[17]dya (he/she) is the first reference third-person pronoun, referring back to le decttridano.

[25]caka (each of) is the individual universal quantifier which could be translated as either ‘each of’ or ‘all’ in English.

[26]adotuts (will adopt) is the future tense of adotare (to adopt (to take or receive as one’s own)), which is distinct from adoptare (to adopt (to take into a relationship)).

[27]studentoy aynvena jwi komunitatay kologioy (incoming students to community colleges) is a noun phrase using the trailing adjective aynvena (incoming) and the link jwi (of (as direct object)) which links the doing of an action (aynvena) to the object of that action (kologioy).

[28]matematikway ceingleswayegzamoy (math and English exams) is a noun phrase using the Type II relational adjectives matematikway (containing mathematics) and inglesway (containing English).

[29]plasyajo (placement) is the event abstraction noun for the becomeative verb plasyare (to place (to become in the proper rank, position, etc.)).

[31]subjektoy gebrawka cfuru suksesare (subjects needed to succeed) is a noun phrase using the trailing adjective gebrawka (needed) and the link cfuru formed from the preposition furu (for the benefit/purpose of). Note that the English uses ‘to’ where Ayola uses ‘for.’

[32]tcesware (to cease (to do something)) is the causative member of the intransitive/transitive verb pair tces(y/w)are (to cease/ to cause to cease).

[33]avancyare (to advance) is the intransitive member of the intransitive/transitive pair avanc(y/w)are (to advance/ to cause to advance).

[34]reytu (at the rate of) is the preposition specifying the rate of some activity.

[35]dyazo (his/her one) is a possessive pronoun denoting in this case a rate so that the phrase reytu dyazo means ‘at his/her own rate.’

[37]alu (to) is the destination/goal preposition which in this case specifies the goal of an action. In Ayola, constructions such as ‘help .. to succeed’ or ‘motivate .. to succeed,’ where the infinitive is not the direct object of the verb, must be connected to the verb by a preposition.